appetizers

Bacon Cheese Ball Bites

/ Jodi / 44 Comments

bacon-cheese-ball-bites-02

Are you looking for a fun party treat?

Everybody loves a good cheese ball, but how about bite-sized appetizer cheese ball bites?

bacon-cheese-ball-bites-1

Mini individual cheese ball bites rolled in bacon, chopped pecans and scallions and served on a pretzel stick.

bacon-cheese-ball-bites-3

Enjoy this fun party appetizer for the holidays!

Bacon Cheese Ball Bites

Ingredients:bacon-cheese-ball-bites-2

  • 2 8-oz. blocks cream cheese
  •  1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. smoky paprika
  • 1 lb. bacon, finely chopped and cooked
  • 1/2 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
  • Pretzel sticks (approx. 24)

Directions:

Blend together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder and paprika.  Roll into approxiately 30-40 small balls using approximately 1/2 tsp. of mixture.  Refrigerate approximately 1 hour until firm.

Mix together cooked chopped bacon, green onions, and pecans in a shallow bowl or plate.

Roll balls in bacon mixture.  Insert a pretzel stick into each ball.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Crazy Addictive Homemade Caramel Corn

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

Caramel Corn bowl

Sometimes I like to fuss and make fancy schmansy appetizers and snacks for company or to take somewhere.

Other times, I rely on tried and true no-fail crowd pleasers like this A M A Z I N G  homemade Caramel Corn.

No matter when or where I serve it or what else is on the table, there is rarely, if ever, a kernel left.

I originally got this recipe from one of my very dear friends, Pam (aka Bubby or the Bubster as I affectionately like to call her – have you noticed a trend in nicknaming with me??!!…) who brought it to our house one holiday season years ago.

I have made this stuff (that is literally like CRACK it is so addicting!) to give as gifts, take to parties, or just serve when having a crowd over many, many times over the years since Bubby first brought it and got us all hooked.

You have got to try this.

And then you have to let me know if you have any leftover.

I dare you – even double dare you – to resist this stuff.

You start with 2 bags of Snyder’s Hulless Puff’n Corn Popcorn.  (You know – that melt in your mouth puffy kind that doesn’t have the kernels that get caught between your teeth).  Dump them in a large roaster pan, and turn your oven on 250 degrees to preheat.

Caramel Corn 1

Then you melt 2 sticks of BUTTER and 1 TBSP of peanut butter in a saucepan.

Add 2 cups of packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup, and boil for 5 minutes.

Caramel Corn 2

Remove from heat, and add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp baking soda, and watch the crazy chemistry work.  (Not sure why – maybe some of you that paid a bit more attention in high school chemistry class know why – but it just completely grows and changes consistency after that little bit of baking soda.)  And if you didn’t start out with a large enough saucepan, you can easily overflow, so be prepared!

Caramel Corn 3

Pour this mixture over the popcorn in the roasting pan and stir well.

Caramel Corn 4

Then bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour (stirring every 15 minutes or so).

Caramel Corn 5

I made this along with about 10 zillion (ok I exaggerate) other things for our Father’s Day Picnic Celebration this past Sunday, and it is the only thing that I did NOT have any leftover of…..

Just saying……  You gotta try this stuff!

And let me know if you have any leftover…

Caramel Corn bowl

Cheers and hugs,

Jodi